Ski pole



Sept. 17, 1940. T. w. BRYANT 2,215,240

SKI POLE Filed June 6, 1939 INVENTOR Patented Sept. 17, 1940 SKI Po EThomas W. Bryant, Torrington, C'onn., assignor to Union HardwareCompany, Torrington,

Conn, a corporation of Connecticut 7 Application June 6, 1939. SerialNo. 277,591 5 Claims (01. 280-1137) My invention relates towhat areknown as ski poles.

One object is to provide a light but strong pole.

Another object is to provide a. pole with a snow 5 shoe, wheel or ringwhich can be readily attached or assembled.

Another] object is to provide a convenient Jmeansrfor securing the snowshoe to the pole without weakening the pole. l Another object is toprovide a ski pole which is neat and attractivein appearance.

Another object is to provide a construction in which the snow shoe canbe readily detached from the shaft for repair or shipment.

Preferably the pole has a tubular shaft of tempered steel or othersuitable alloy. The snow shoe consists of an outer ring with crossstraps supported on the shaft by a sort of sling formed of two narrowstraps interwoven with the cross straps and having their ends secured toa pin or pins which pass through a hub member tightly affixed to theshaft.

Fig. l is a perspective small scale View of a ski pole embodying oneform of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a lower end view on a larger scale showing the snow shoe.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary section and side view showing the method ofsecuring the shoe to the shaft.

Fig. 4 is a side view of a fragment of shaft with the hub in section.

Fig. is a transverse sectional view of the shaft and hub.

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view of the shaft on the plane of theline 66 of Fig. 1.

Fig. '7 is a detail view of one of the supporting sling straps.

The shaft I0 may be formed of a suitable steel or alloy tube light inweight and yet sufficiently 40 strong for the purpose. This may beplated, enameled or otherwise coated outside and inside if desired inorder to avoid corrosion and in order to ornament it if desired. Anysuitable handle or grip portion II will be provided at the upper end anda suitable tip l2 at the lower end, the latter being preferably of metalinserted and held in the small end of the tubular shaft.

The central portion of the shaft is preferably grooved at l3 to form ineffect three ribs to reinforce and stiffen the shaft between the handleand the shoe.

The shoe has a frame preferably in the form of a ring I4 of suitablematerial (such as duralumin) to which is attached a number of flexiblestraps l5 of leather or other suitable material.

Each strap has a central opening l6 preferably in the form 'of a mereslit to receive the shaft Ill and the straps are arranged like thespokes of a wheel. These straps may merely overlap each other or beinterwoven if desired. The outer ends 5 I 1 of the straps are wrappedaround the ring and secured for instance by rivets l8.

'- A hub ill, for instance, of duralumin is secured to the shaft forinstance by a drive fit and by brazing or otherwise attaching it withoutcutl0 sting-"drilling or otherwise weakening the shaft.

lhis hub has passages 20, 2!! to receive a cotter pin or pins 2,!preferably on opposite sides of the shaft. This pin 2! supports a slingformed of two straps 22 which pass through and around the main strapsl5, IE on opposite sides of the shaft and have their ends 23 perforatedto receive the pin. Washers 24 are preferably provided to assist inholding the straps 22, 22 in place and the end 25 of the cotter pin willbe bent over as shown. Preferably the two straps 22, 22 pass throughseparate straps l5, l5 so as to tie them together.

This arrangement gives adequate flexible support for the snow shoewithout weakening the shaft. It also permits of ease of assembly andseparation without the necessity of special tools.

Although I have shown and described the preferred form of my invention,it will be understood that the claims are intended to be construed tocover the invention as broadly as the prior art will permit.

I claim:

1. A ski pole consisting of a metallic tubular shaft, a hub memberfitted on said shaft adjacent one end thereof, a cotter pin extendingthrough said hub member at one side of the shaft, a pair of flexiblestraps fastened at their ends to the opposite ends of said pin saidstraps embracing opposite sides of said shaft, a plurality of radiallydisposed flexible straps supported by said pair of straps in interwovenrelationship at their center portions and a ring supported on the outerends of said radial straps, the edges of all of said straps at theircentral portions being adapted to contact the shaft and form a flexiblebearing for the shaft to permit limited universal tilting of the ringrelative to the shaft.

2. A ski pole consisting of a metallic tubular 5o shaft, a hub memberfitted on the shaft adjacent one end thereof and provided withtangentially disposed openings on opposite sides thereof, a bifurcatedpin with its bifurcations extending through and beyond the ends of saidopenings, a pair of flexible straps fastened at their ends to theopposite ends of said pin and spaced to permit said shaft to passtherebetween, a plurality of radially disposed flexible straps supportedby said pair of straps and positioned in overlapping relationship attheir central portions and interwoven with said pair of straps, theoverlapping portions of said straps being slitted for receiving theshaft therethrough, and a ring supported on the outer ends of saidradial straps, the walls of said slits in said radial straps and theedge walls of said pair of straps forming a flexible bearing for theshaft to permit limited universal tilting of the shaft relative to thering.

3. A ski pole consisting of a metallic tubular shaft member, a hubfitted on the shaft adjacent one end thereof, the central portion ofsaid hub being formed with an annular enlargement provided withtangentially disposed openings on opposite sides thereof, a cotter pinwith its bifurcated portions extending through and beyond the ends ofsaid openings, a flexible sling supported by the ends of said pin, and asnow shoe supported by said sling for movement along the shaft and foruniversal tilting movement, said shaft being formed with longitudinallyextending arcuate ribs, said ribs having a cross section radius such asto provide three ribs in a shaft having a maximum diameter ofapproximately of an inch.

4. A ski pole consisting of a metallic tubular shaft, a hub memberfitted on said shaft adjacent one end thereof and formed with atangentially disposed opening at each side, fastening means havingseparate shank members extending through said openings, a pair offlexible straps secured at their ends to the opposite ends of said shankmembers, vsaid straps embracing opposite sides of said shaft, aplurality of radially disposed flexible straps supported by said pair ofstraps in interwoven relationship at their center portions and a ringsupported on the outer ends of said radial straps, the edges of all ofsaid straps at their central portions being adapted to contact the shaftand form a flexible hearing for the shaft to permit limited universaltilt ing of the ring relative to the shaft.

5. A ski pole consisting of a metallic tubular shaft, a hub memberfitted on said shaft adjacent one end thereof and formed with atangentially disposed opening at eachside, a plurality of radiallydisposed flexible straps overlapping at their central portions andformed with slits at said portions for receiving the tubular shafttherethrough, a ring supported on the outer ends of said radial straps,flexible means for'suspending said radial straps and ring from said hubincluding a pair of straps interwoven through the slits of theoverlapping portions of said radial straps and metallic means forfastening the ends of said pair of straps to said hub having portionsextending through said tangential openings in the hub and a device onthe opposite ends of said extending portions for securing the ends ofthe pair of straps thereon.

THOMAS W. BRYANT.

